- First time United Autosports will not contest a full WEC season since 2019/20
- Garage 59 has raced with McLaren machinery for many years, winning the 2016 GT Series Endurance Cup
Garage 59 will replace United Autosports as McLaren’s partner in the LMGT3 category of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) from next season.
It has already been agreed that United Autosports will run McLaren’s Hypercar entry from 2027, so this switch will allow both parties to give as much time to prepare for WEC’s top category as possible.
Garage 59 already has much experience with McLaren machinery, including winning the 2016 GT Series Endurance Cup. It has competed in the GT World Challenge Europe with McLaren since 2023.
But this will be the first time that United Autosports has not contested a full WEC season since joining the LMP2 division for the 2019/20 season.
“With success achieved by our Formula One team, the new Hypercar project gathering momentum and the race-winning performance of our GT cars, it’s a very exciting time for McLaren,” said Nick Collins, chief executive of McLaren Automotive.
“We thank United Autosports for their valuable contribution to this success, including our maiden WEC race victory earlier this year, and look forward to their future achievements in Hypercar.
“Motorsport is intrinsic to the DNA of McLaren Automotive, and it’s exciting to continue our journey in the LMGT3 class with new racing partner Garage 59. We hope to continue our strong progress and race winning performance with our new racing partners in 2026.”
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“We are proud to be partnering with McLaren on the world stage,” said Andrew Kirkaldy, team principal of Garage 59.
“Competing in the WEC with two McLaren GT3 EVOs isn’t just a progression, it’s a statement of intent. We know how intense the competition is in the WEC, but we believe we have the people, the infrastructure, and the resolve to be competitive from day one.”
Richard Dean, chief executive of United Autosports, added: “It is truly an honour to race in the WEC, so this is not a decision we have taken lightly, but when you have the opportunity to race in Hypercar, going for outright victory around the world including Le Mans; that is something we have worked for, fought for, dreamed of for years, so we are doing everything in our power to make it a success.
“I would like to thank WEC for their support and wish Garage 59 and McLaren Automotive the best of luck next season in LMGT3. We will be back on the grid in 2027 as the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar Team and we can’t wait.”
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